3679. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding plans to ensure that treatment for complex or high risk pregnancies are consultant led in the context of proposals to withdraw private maternity care options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62207/26]

3680. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the measures being taken to ensure that women continue to have access to continuity of care during pregnancy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62206/26]

3681. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the engagement she had with management of maternity hospitals prior to the proposal to withdraw private maternity care options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62205/26]

3682. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the engagement she had with maternity care clinicians prior to the proposal to withdraw private maternity care options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62204/26]

3683. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the engagement she had with maternity service users prior to the proposal to withdraw private maternity care options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62203/26]

3684. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health if she has considered the impact that a withdrawal of private maternity care services will have on women's choice in maternity care; if she can offer reassurances to people that have genuine concerns about this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62202/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3679, 3680, 3681, 3682, 3683 and 3684 together.

Maternity care in Ireland is provided in line with the National Maternity Strategy (NMS). The Strategy sets out how to provide women-centred care, so that every woman can expect the same quality of care regardless of her location or her ability to pay, and to ensure women have choice regarding the pathway to the birth of their baby, within the context of their clinical need.

The Public Only Consultant Contract (POCC) was introduced on the 8th of March 2023. This contract is a key step in the move towards universal, single-tier healthcare with public hospitals exclusively used for the treatment of public patients, as envisaged in the Sláintecare Report. All consultants who switch to a POCC, regardless of specialty, are not permitted to conduct private practice in public hospitals beyond the conclusion of transitional arrangements stated within the terms of their contract.

The transition applies to all private care, including maternity. The availability of private consultant care in public hospitals will reduce over time, however, private maternity care is and will remain available in public hospitals via consultants who continue to work on older contracts. There is no requirement for these consultants to switch to a POCC and their contractual arrangements provide for private practice in public hospitals up to retirement. The last of these contracts were issued prior to March 2023.

The aim of the Sláintecare reform is to build a health service that provides timely access to high-quality healthcare based on clinical need rather than ability to pay. This principle applies across the health service, including maternity services. Public hospitals are predominately funded by the taxpayer, and that funding must deliver the same high standard of care to every patient.

The implementation of the public-only consultant contract is a key reform in delivering that objective. The intention is not to reduce the quality of maternity care or remove access to consultant-led care, but to ensure that consultant-led care is available equitably across the public health system and to strengthen public maternity services for all women.

Women with complex or high-risk pregnancies will continue to receive consultant-led care appropriate to their clinical needs.

The Government’s priority remains the delivery of safe, evidence-based and compassionate maternity care. We will continue to listen to women and drive improvements across maternity services, building on the significant progress and investment to date driven through the National Maternity Strategy. This includes delivering a successor to the Strategy, as outlined in the Programme for Government.